The Illinois police officers served warm meals for their community in celebration of their third annual “Because We Care Thanksgiving Dinner.”
Illinois Police
According to The Herald Review, Sherrod’s Independent Mentoring Program Inc. (SIMP) organized the initiative while Decatur’s Good Samaritan Inn hosted it. The sponsors were many law enforcement agencies, including the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
The men in uniform and the volunteers prepared quite a menu for the community. They served 400 fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and a tray of side dishes, including corn, green beans, and yams. The meal will not be complete without their vast choices of desserts.
“It’s about building positive relationships with law enforcement,” Dr. Jarmese Sherrod, president of SIMP, said. “So that people get to know that law enforcement is here to support them.”
She continued, “And, in fact, to also know that all of Decatur loves them: We’ve also got volunteers helping out here today as young as middle school students and high school students. So for people who don’t have, say, the love and support of family around the holidays, we just want to love on them today with a great meal and a lot of great desserts.”
Thanksgiving Dinner
On the day of the event, more than 170 diners showed up. They were all smiles as they received the officers’ warm hospitality.
Gregory Wheeler, Oreana Police Department Chief, believes that the dinner is an opportunity for people to see a different side of the cops.
“It allows somebody to see us as other than just a uniform. And it allows people to interact with us without having had a problem,” he said.
Moreover, Dr. Jarmese explained that the event brought the youth and the police together. “Our youth wanted an event where they could work beside law enforcement to restore positive relationships with them but also to keep having positive things going on so that it was something that showed us uniting together that we can do it.”
May events like these put the community in harmony and love, just like how God designs a society.
Reference: CBN News